


Dinner Date

by Missy



Category: Caroline in the City
Genre: Dinner, F/M, Future Fic, Humor, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-24
Updated: 2012-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-22 05:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/606088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Meet me at Remo's" he says.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dinner Date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Evil_Little_Dog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/gifts).



> Written for Evil_Little_Dog, who won my services during the Help Sandy Auction!

“Meet me at Remo’s.” Caroline squinted at the small chocolate-stained note that had been stuffed into her dayplanner sometime between her morning run to Del’s downtown office and her run uptown to pick up Stefano from kindergarten. She glanced around the now-empty studio and heaved a sigh. “I think I know where your daddy went.”

Steffano, who was a very intelligent boy at the age of five, looked up from his coloring book and automatically stuffed his homework into a paint-splattered backpack. “We’ll take the subway,” he said. “It’s exactly four minutes and twenty seconds faster than riding there on a unicycle.”

“And that’s what I get for letting your Uncle Charlie babysit,” she sighed, ushering the child from the room. 

*** 

She strode inside with the little boy in his rain slicker at her side, bearing his backpack. Remo wasn’t there with his gentle blandishments, but the head waitress recognized Caroline and ushered Steffano to his own kiddie table on the opposite side of the restaurant, where he was set up with a plate of almond cookies and a large glass of milk.

Caroline, meanwhile, was led to a private room filled with red roses and lit with a hundred low-burning candles. Richard’s sardonic voice held a tiny bit of effacement as he stood up from the table.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Steffano…”

“Oh God, I’m sorry…I thought Annie was watching him after school,” groaned Richard, automatically embracing Caroline and kissing along her hairline. 

“She’s busy with Del.” He recognized the unspoken euphuism and cringed. “We traded afternoons; she’ll be watching him tomorrow.” She kissed his earlobe. “I was planning on surprising you tonight.”

He chuckled. “With a long woolen nightgown and a pair of cotton slippers?” She rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the jaw, whispering a litany of plans and suggestions into his ear. “Hmm. All the way down to there?” He leaned against her, rocking her to the unconscious rhythm of their affection. “Something that will be very hard to pull off with that child of ours underfoot constantly. Why do you think I rented a whole room 

She smiled widely, holding herself back and away from him so that she might truly examine his features. “Richard. You just called him ours for the first time.”

“I’ve been warming up to it,” he firmly insisted. “I just wanted to make sure it was all right with you.” He smiled. “I suppose from the look on your face it is.”

“I’m a mother,” she smiled. “I’ve always wanted to be one…” She hugged him, her arms sliding around his neck for a quick squeeze. “Thank you so much for letting me back into your lives.”

“I was the one who ran away so long ago,” he said. “I got good at it – running away to Paris when you didn’t get my letter, and marrying Julia when you were getting closet to Joe.” 

“I noticed.” She leaned against his chest and swayed her hips. “It’s kind of a weird way to get my attention.”

He kissed her temple again. “But now I’m through with running. I have a life here with you, a real shot at making something of myself without Julia’s connections. And we have a little boy who can calculate pi within four decimal places.” He took her hand and spun her about, making Caroline giggle. “Happy anniversary, Caroline.”

“Happy anniversary, Richard. Oh, do I love you.”

“And I love you.”

The rest of the world ceased to exist as they spun and twirled to unheard music, lost in their own special place.

**Author's Note:**

> This work of fanfiction uses characters from _Caroline In The City_ , which is the property of **NBC/Universal.** Infringement for monetary gain has not occurred, and this is a work of fanfiction intended for nonprofit use only.


End file.
